After acquiring the book known as Smuggler's Guide in the of Thikkiiana City on Kashyyyk, Hondo Ohnaka wondered if it was fake, which inspired a new business plan. He visited the planet Florrum to find the master forger, Bar the Rotter, in the Cellar of Penitence at the Church of Infinite Perception. Hondo left Florrum, having persuaded Bar with a drink of Whyren's Reserve, and set the course to Balmorra to find the Marquess next, who could manipulate Undervine network. Hondo planned for Bar to complete three logbook forgeries and for Marquess to reach out for buyers on the anonymous Undervine to arrange three auctions, while bidders would be unaware of competing auctions.
Hondo organized the first auction in above the on the Zirtran's Anchor space station, renting the room for 5,000 credits.
The first auction of Maz Kanata's Journal attracted agents from the Rang Clan, the Xrexus Cartel, and Novabarrel Distillery. Bar the Rotter played the part of rare document expert and the Marquess a convincing security guard. Bidding would have started at 75,000 credits, until Rang Clan used a document authenticator to verify the fake Maz Kanata's Journal which ended the auction and started a blaster fight, but Hondo was prepared for such a catastrophe.
Hondo thought it was unfortunate that the Xrexus Cartel had brought a droideka.
At the first sign of a blaster, the Marquess jerked her neck to rattle the gears inside her headpiece, which made every screen on the walls flash white at the same time, blinding anyone who hadn't closed their eyes. But Xrexus Cartel's droideka remained and followed Hondo, Marquess and Bar to the turbolift. Hondo closed the turbolift doors just before the droideka assumed attack stance, leaving behind Marquess and Bar, claiming that the turbolift wasn't big enough to fit three people. The word spread on Undervine about the forgery of Smuggler's Guide, derailing Hondo's plans for the auction in the Boro-borosa system and the third auction.
The first auction of Maz Kanata's Journal was first mentioned in Star Wars: Smuggler's Guide, a reference book written by Daniel Wallace and released in 2018.
- Star Wars: Smuggler's Guide